Ban of Dahua and Hikvision Is Now US Government Law
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Ban of Dahua and Hikvision Is Now US Government Law

In August 2018 the US government passed a bill banning the use of Dahua and Hikvision cameras (and their OEMs) for the US government facilities and US government-funded contracts.  This bill officially comes into effect on August 13, 2019. 

This bill bans the purchase and use of Dahua and Hikvision cameras due to gaping security holes and many vulnerabilities, which allows a great potential for hacking.  The direct impact of this bill means government facilities must cease purchasing these cameras and remove existing cameras immediately.

Hikvision/Dahua OEM’s affected by the ban:

Hikvision OEMs

If you are currently using Dahua, Hikvision or any of their OEM cameras in your facility please be aware of the security risks and the potential for hackers to gain remote, direct control over these vulnerable systems.  We recommend you replace these cameras as quickly as possible to avoid an attack.  Until you can get the cameras replaced, there are a few steps you can take to reduce the security risk:

  1. Update the firmware. One basic way to keep your devices secured from attack is to ensure that your NVR, DVR, and IP cameras firmware are up-to-date at all times.
  2. Use Strong Passwords and Change Frequently. The number one reason a system gets “hacked” is due to weak or default passwords.
  3. Change ONVIF Password. On older IP Camera firmware, the ONVIF password does not change when you change the system’s credentials.
  4. Check the Log. If you suspect that someone has gained unauthorized access to your system, you can always check the system log
  5. Physically lock down the device. If you suspect that someone has gained unauthorized access to your system, you can always check the system log.
  6. Limit features of guest accounts. If you suspect that someone has gained unauthorized access to your system, you can always check the system log.

When you’re ready to explore a new IP Surveillance Solution, we’d be happy to discuss your options.  TCS Canada is an end-to-end video IP Surveillance solution supplier. 

The TCS Watch solution offers professional, full-featured, high definition and extremely secure IP surveillance cameras, video management software and video analytics that are seamlessly unified.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about a TCS Watch solution.